


something's gotta give now

by soaringrachel



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-11-02
Packaged: 2017-12-31 07:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soaringrachel/pseuds/soaringrachel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which liam and niall are train buddies, and liam has a subway crush on a guy who doesn't know his name. (or, pubtrans au!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	something's gotta give now

**Author's Note:**

> just a short and sweet thing i wrote for zoop (zoopdeloop on tumblr)!
> 
> the train in question is a bart train; in this au the boys all live in oakland and work in san francisco. that's not really important to the story.
> 
> title, of course, from "one thing". one day i will have titled a 1d fic after every 1d song, and then i will retire to the country and become a recluse, salinger-style.

Liam’s on the train by himself  _again_  today, because Zayn is quite willing to be late for work waiting for the pink-haired girl who sometimes sings in the station to show up, and Liam just isn’t.

Liam sort of wishes he had a pink-haired girl to pine after—it’s been months since he last had a proper crush, and his feelings about them have slid back from “more trouble than they’re worth” to “make life infinitely more fun” once more. So, sue him if he’s scoping out his fellow subway riders a little. It’s a time-honored tradition.

Across and to the left there’s a woman wearing red lipstick and talking on the phone in rapid Spanish—no, wedding ring. Fratbro type in a harvard sweatshirt—objectively attractive, but not Liam’s type. Silver foxy dude in a suit—nice, very nice, but he can’t do more than appreciate someone that old. Small, scruffy angel in jeans—ahh. Yeah.

The boy needs to comb his hair, and his pants are too tight, and Liam is really, really pleased about both of those things. 

 

The next day, Liam makes sure to get on the same car, not really sure what he’s hoping to accomplish. In any case, the boy isn’t there, which really is what he expected, so he’s not disappointed. Not at all.

The day after that, though, Liam gets on the train and there he is, riding standing up even though there are plenty of seats. He has to reach up to hold on, his black jeans riding low on his waist, a little bit of stomach showing. Liam tries really, really hard not to stare, because it’s not polite, because you shouldn’t, but he must fail because halfway to his stop the boy does a little belly-roll, looking right at him, and Liam turns bright red. For once he’s glad Zayn isn’t there.

He catches a glimpse of the boy’s orange backpack as he gets off the train—his name is embroidered on it.  _Louis_.

The next day is Saturday, and Liam wakes up oddly disappointed. Which he shouldn’t be, because he doesn’t exactly love his job—he’s an admin assistant at a charter school in San Francisco, a job Zayn got for him, and it’s a testament to what a  _good_ English teacher Zayn is that he managed to get not only himself but Liam employed considering his honestly slovenly work habits. Liam doesn’t hate the job either, but still all things considered he’s usually happier than this on Saturday mornings.

It’s Sunday before he realizes  _why_  he’s so bummed that it’s the weekend, and he drops an apple on his foot when Louis pops into his head. 

"Ow!" he mutters, and Zayn hears him, yells "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

 _Not you_ , Liam thinks, and then groans out loud. So he’s far gone.

 

But Monday there’s no Louis. The train is crowded, and Liam sits down next to a blond guy about his age who’s sleeping honestly kind of adorably, like a sweet little cherub.

Having a crush has clearly ruined Liam’s brain.  _Sweet little cherub_?

He doesn’t know what the guy’s stop is, but he figures it’s in the city and that he doesn’t want to miss it, so he reaches over to gently shake him awake when they get across the bay.

Blond cherub snuggles into his touch.

Now bright pink, Liam shakes a little harder. “C’mon, wake  _up,_ man—”

"I’m awake!" the guy says, much too loudly, and people laugh.

"You were snuggling," Liam says.

"Oh," the guy says, unconcerned. "Well, thanks for doing me a solid, it’s my first day of work and I did  _not_  want to wake up at the end of the line, yeah? Do you ride this train every day? Do you wanna make sure I make it to work? You seem like a responsible type.”

Liam blinks. “Er, yeah, sure, I mean, yeah I am? I’m Liam,” he finishes, because that at least he’s sure of.

"Ah. Niall," the guy says, holding his hand out. Liam shakes it. He’s pretty sure he’s just made some kind of train buddy.

 

Tuesday Liam introduces Niall to Zayn, who managed to get in his daily dose of pining before the train left for once. Not that Liam should talk, because the first thing he does is scan the car for Louis. No luck.

Niall and Zayn get along shockingly well, actually. Shockingly well, like, Niall cuddling between them by the end of the ride well, Zayn making a gruff joke about friendship bracelets well, Niall is coming over for dinner on Sunday well. Liam would be a bit frightened if he didn’t like Niall so much too.

 

So no Louis Monday and Tuesday; awful. But Wednesday is the worst. Because Wednesday Liam slides in next to Niall, glances around the car, and sees Louis—and another boy. The other boy has curly hair and a cute smile and he’s _cuddling_ Louis, there’s really no other word for it, right there on the train.

Liam frowns and jabs Niall, whispers,”that’s him,” and Niall understands right away, offers a sympathetic smile and a hug of his own. Liam accepts but he doesn’t stop watching them wistfully, even when Curly notices.

 

“He has a boyfriend,” Liam moans to Zayn and Niall the next day. “A _boyfriend_.”

“Yes,” Zayn says, “because if only he were _single_ this would’ve been totally possible.”

Liam gives Zayn a look that he hopes conveys “people who pine after pink girls shouldn’t throw stones.”

“We could start meeting in a different car,” Niall says. “Then maybe you wouldn’t have to see him again.”

“No,” Liam says. Zayn’s right, actually—this crush isn’t any _more_ hopeless than it was before.

 

It goes on that way for three weeks. Wednesdays and Fridays, Louis rides the train. Sometimes he’s with his boyfriend—cuddling, giggling, having whispered conversations. Other times he’s alone, still looking like some kind of weird commuter angel. The rest of the week, Liam jokes with Zayn and Niall, reads Batman comics, waits for Louis days.

 

The week after is just the same. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Friday, something different happens.

Louis and Curly Boyfriend are being especially cute, standing a breath apart and murmuring to each other, so Niall is distracting Liam by getting him to explain the various Robins. It works, actually—so well that Liam doesn’t notice Louis’ boyfriend come up to him until he’s right there.

He hands Liam a glossy piece of paper; Liam takes it, blinking.

“Come to that,” he says, and Liam would think that it wasn’t much of a sales pitch except he’s smiling and it actually makes Liam sort of endeared to him against his will.

“Okay,” he says, because he isn’t sure what else to say, and the boyfriend smiles even _wider_ , says “Excellent!” and goes back to Louis.

Liam flips over the flyer; it’s for some play, tonight the closing night.

“Well,” he says to Niall, “I guess we’re going to a play tonight.”

 

Niall goes home with Liam; Zayn says he has something to do, so they meet back up at the train station in time to head to the play. Zayn shows up with a blonde with him, one who looks only vaguely familiar until Liam realizes—“You’re the pink girl!”

She laughs. “Perrie, actually. Decided it was time for a change.”

Liam gapes. “You _talked_ to her?”

Zayn shrugs one shoulder and kisses Perrie on the cheek.

 

The play is in an old building that’s almost empty; the theater, apparently, is pretty strapped for cash. Liam has to flip through three pages of pleas for support in the program before he gets to the cast list, and—

Oh. Of course Louis’s in the play. Of course that’s why his boyfriend was advertising it. Of _course_ Louis’s an actor; it fits him perfectly, somehow.

It turns out that Louis’s a good actor, too. The play is pretty crap—Zayn especially seems disgusted with it, and Liam always trusts Zayn on that stuff—but Louis manages to work with it, make it his. Liam can’t take his eyes off him, which in itself isn’t that surprising, but he doesn’t think anyone else in the small audience can either.

It’s over in about ninety minutes, but Louis is onstage for almost all of it, and when he comes back out after his curtain call, flirting with girls in the front row, Liam has to go up and tell him how good he was.

“You came!” Louis says when he sees him. “Train boy! I knew Harry could charm you if anybody could.”

 _You charmed me_ , Liam wants to say, but instead he says “I’m Liam.”

“Liam,” Louis says, like he’s really really pleased with it. “Liam, come backstage. Bring your friends. We’re having a party.”

 

The party turns out to be large amounts of alcohol and glittery stage makeup and mass-produced pop music blasted loud. It’s not Liam’s usual scene, but Louis’s clearly in his element, twirling around while Curly watches happily from the floor. (Curly’s name is Harry, and he does costumes, apparently; Louis has painted his face with lots of the glittery stuff.)  Zayn and Perrie are making out in a corner, and Niall is having a drink-off with the stage manager, and so Liam is sitting on a couch that is more holes than material and just. Watching.

Louis comes over to him, looking pouty. “Liam,” he says, almost like he’s frustrated, annoyed.

“Louis,” Liam says.

“Lou-ee,” Louis says, kicking his foot. “It’s pronounced the French way.”

“Lou-ee,” Liam says back. “Your boyfriend looks pretty.”

Louis stops pouting instantly and starts grinning, which is actually kind of scary.

“ _Oh_ ,” he says, and kisses Liam.

 

Liam is sort of thinking there are maybe things that should be said, like, “So wait what is _up_ with you and Harry,” and “did you ask me here on purpose to do this,” and “I’ve been gone for you since I first saw you.”

He also, however, has a lap full of Louis, and he is thinking there are really more important things to do with his mouth.


End file.
